Britain’s King Charles III arrived Monday in Ottawa on a visit that Canada’s leader says will underscore his nation’s sovereignty amid President Donald Trump’s talk of the United States annexing its northern neighbor.
Trump’s repeated suggestion that the U.S. annex Canada prompted Prime Minister Mark Carney to invite Charles to give the speech from the throne that will outline his government’s agenda for the new Parliament.
The king is the head of state in Canada, which is a member of the British Commonwealth of former colonies.
“This historic honor matches the weight of our times. It speaks to our enduring tradition and friendship, to the vitality of our constitutional monarchy and our distinct identity, and to the historic ties that crises only fortify,” Carney said in a statement.
“Canada’s strength lies in building a strong future while embracing its English, French, and Indigenous roots — the union of peoples that forms our bedrock.”
Carney, the new prime minister and a former head of the Bank of England, and Canada’s first Indigenous governor general, Mary Simon, the king’s representative in Canada, greeted the king and Queen Camilla at the airport. A 25-member honor guard from the Royal Canadian Dragoons, for which the king is colonel-in-chief, was also on hand.
The king, in a taupe suit and red tie, later dropped the ceremonial first puck during a street hockey game at a community event.
Spectator Norman MacDonald said he’s “proud” the king came to Ottawa to deliver a message on behalf of Canadians.
“Canada is not, obviously, for sale, and it’s not going to be bullied,” he said.
Canadians stress their differences from the U.S.
It is rare for the monarch to deliver what’s called the speech from the throne in Canada. Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth II, did it twice in her 70-year reign, the last time in 1977.
Canadians are largely indifferent to the monarchy, but Carney has been eager to show the differences between Canada and the United States. The king’s visit clearly underscores Canada’s sovereignty, he said.
After America gained independence from Britain, Canada remained a colony until 1867 and afterward, continued as a constitutional monarchy with a British-style parliamentary system.
“We are different,” former Quebec Premier Jean Charest said. “If you look at why King Charles is reading the speech from the throne, then you have to then acknowledge Canada’s story.”
However, the new U.S. ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra, said sending messages isn’t necessary and Canadians should move on from the 51st state talk, telling the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that if there’s a message to be sent there are easier ways to do that, such as calling him or calling the president.
Royal historian Carolyn Harris expects Trump to notice the visit because he has repeatedly spoken about his admiration for the royal family. Trump might see how different Canada is from the U.S.
“It is a very distinctive history that goes back to the waves of loyalists who settled here after the American revolution,” Harris said. “And we’re going to seeing the king in a Canadian context, escorted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, surrounded by Canadian symbolism. This is very much King Charles III in his role as King of Canada.”
A royal invitation to Trump ruffles Canadians’ feathers
The speech, which will be delivered Tuesday, is not written by the king or his U.K. advisers as Charles serves as a nonpartisan head of state. He will read what is put before him by Canada’s government.
“Charles can only act with the consent and with the advice of his prime minister. But at the same time he cannot act in a way that would throw any of the other 14 Commonwealth realms under the bus. So it is the finest tightrope to walk,” said Justin Vovk, a Canadian royal historian.
Canadians were not happy when U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer extended a state visit invitation to Trump on behalf of the king during a time when Trump threatened Canada’s sovereignty.
“They weren’t impressed by that gesture, quite simply, given the circumstance,” Carney told Britain’s Sky News. “It was a time when we were quite clear … about the issues around sovereignty.”
The king has more recently been showing support for Canada, including displaying Canadian military medals on his chest during a visit to a British aircraft carrier.
Charles will meet privately with Carney. And Camilla participated in a swearing-in ceremony to become a Canadian privy counsellor, a lifetime appointment that allows her to give advice about the country to the king.
The king will return to the U.K. after Tuesday’s speech and a visit to Canada’s National War Memorial.
